Changes, 24x30

A Young Girl Just Beginning Her Turn....

.....around the next corner of life, leaving behind the stuffed animals and toys....but never to forget them.  Toy Story all over again.  I should have named this 'Don't Go Changing' but, really, the change is nice to watch and we all wish them the best.  Ah, I'm getting nostalgic.

I thought it was portrait day at our small painting group so brought a large canvas.  If I had remembered it was still life day I would have brought a canvas formatted differently....but I think this worked out.

I had fun with this, although it was hard to compose and I think I'd try something different if I did it again.  At least this one alludes to a story.  Someone once told me that illustrations tell stories, paintings play with color and shape.  That doesn't make sense to me but there might be some element of truth there.

With that in mind I can't help think of Jamie Wyeth's painting of pumpkins with carved faces being thrown over the cliffs of the island he lives on.  It is both story and painting.....one that makes me laugh every time I see it.  There is something about the grotesque grinning faces cascading down that tickles me.

Maine painter Carol Douglas has an image of those freed pumpkins on her blog HERE.

How did I get off on all that?